If brevity is going to be the key to catching up, brief is what I will be.

First up, the movie "21" that I saw today at the Cineworld on Broad Street.



You and I have seen this movie many times before.

A talented Innocent is recruited/seduced by an older, devious mentor, with the promise of riches/fame/success if he utilises his talent on behalf of the mentor. Riches/fame/success are delivered, but the effects are corrupting on the Innocent. The Innocent loses everything, but watch out for the twist in the tale...

Indeed. Yes. Seen it, done it, lets move on shall we, please?

Ah... But hold your horses, there Chief! The reason the above scenario has become such a cliche is because it is used quite a lot, and the reason it is used quite a lot is because can be a really popular and entertaining cliche in the right hands. This brings us to "21".

I thought "21" was just a fabulous, unpretentious, piece of entertainment. Nothing more and nothing less. It has a young, attractive cast (Jim Sturgess and Kate Bosworth are, frankly, too beautiful to live), the gravity of experienced hands (devious Kevin Spacey and granite-like Laurence Fishburne), a cracking soundtrack (horrible remix of the Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" aside) and, lest I forget to mention it, the backdrop of Las Vegas looks amazing.

I really enjoyed "21", cliches aside.

Next up, "El Orfanato". I saw that at the Cineworld on Broad Street, over a week ago.



There are horror movies that bang you over the head with gore and blood and entrails and there are horror movies that entice you in slowly with atmosphere and silence and dread. "El Orfanato" is definitely one of the latter. I would hesitate to even call "El Orfanato" a horror movie, but it chilled me to the bone.

If you are wanting gore, see you around, guys! You will be happier somewhere else. Other than one small in-your-face moment, there is no gore in this movie. It is much subtler than that.

I intend to give nothing away of the plot. You need to let it unfold yourself. "El Orfanato" is about atmosphere and quiet and dread. The horror of something hidden in the dark. The sound of something on the stairs. The whisper of children's voices, when there are no children present. The chill of something passing close by. The dead. The forgotten. Secrets long buried.

I thought that "El Orfanato" was a genuine, modern, supernatural masterpiece. Really I did. I am a big boy (oooh, err!). I don't get scared watching movies, not anymore, but "El Orfanato", got me holding on tight to the armrest of my seat.

Great movie. 9/10, but only because there is no such thing as a 10/10.

If you do like gore, you could do worse than seeing the Spanish horror movie "[REC]". I saw it last Saturday, again at the Cineworld on Broad Street.



A bubbly reporter, and unseen cameraman, are working on a reality show "While You're Asleep", tasked with following the two man team of a fire crew over a single night. A call comes in that something has happened to an old woman in her apartment and she is apparently trapped. The crew arrive to free her. However, the crew soon realise that something is very wrong with the old woman, and that there is a deadly and lethal force abroad in the apartment block.

"[REC]" is a really short movie (the print I saw was only 78 minutes long, but apparently the Netherlands version is 85 minutes long, so I don't know what has been cut), but barely a minute is wasted. True, there is a slow start as the premise is setup, but "[REC]" picks up immensely once the crew arrive at the apartment block and mayhem breaks loose. Then "[REC]" becomes very violent, very bloody and very vicious indeed. "[REC]" comes across as kind of like "The Blair Witch Project", but with nothing hidden and everything onscreen.

I think that "[REC]" worked really well, and made the most of it's low budget limitations. I was going to write that it was the kind of project that would almost certainly be picked up as a remake candidate by Hollywood, and then I read on IMDB (hi guys!) that this has already happened. The Hollywood remake "Quarantine" is due out in the UK in October. I will probably see it (why not?) but it will have to be going some to beat "[REC]" for energy, excitement and good old fashioned gory thrills.

Jennifer is due home any minute. I will write about the Fratellis and Portishead gigs tomorrow.

Oh, last thing. I might be going to see the Sex Pistols in June at the Carling Academy in Birmingham. Not going to count my chickens before they are hatched, or anything like that, but it looks hopeful. Sometimes it works, knowing a tout for 30 odd years.

Anarchy!